


Intelligence Saving Throw

by LouTheLost



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Critical Role (Web Series) RPF
Genre: Caleb Widogast Needs a Hug, Caleb Widogast's Backstory, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, written like a transcript
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:41:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24998488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LouTheLost/pseuds/LouTheLost
Summary: A quest to find incriminating evidence on Trent Ikithon takes a turn for the worse.MATT: You guys watch, as Trent finishes the incantation, Caleb seems to stumble back from an unseen force, before clutching his head and falling to his knees. You watch as his eyes flicker back and forth with his brow furrowed before he blinks a few times and his hands just drop from his head onto his lap and he just stares blankly into the middle distance.
Comments: 22
Kudos: 170





	Intelligence Saving Throw

MATT: I’m gonna need you to make a Wisdom saving throw Caleb.

LIAM: Ja, okay… (rolling dice) _Elf._

MATT: Eleven? As you stare into the flames, a wave of memories washes over you and as the sounds of the battlefield fall away, your mind instead is filled with screams from a very long time ago.

…

MATT: Now it’s Trent’s turn. He’s going to turn, and seeing the stunned Caleb-

SAM: (sharp inhale)

LAURA: Oh no.

MATT: He’s going to weave his hands through the air, magical energy sparking at his fingertips as he starts muttering an incantation-

LAURA: (to TRAVIS) Can you Counterspell?

TRAVIS: Yeah, can I Counterspell? I believe I have line of sight?

MATT: You do, yes. Roll a d20 and add your Charisma modifier.

TRAVIS: Okay, okay, okay… Seventeen?

MATT: As the arcane energy of Counterspell leaves your outstretched hand, you see it come into contact with Trent, before fizzling out with no effect as he just pushes through to continue his spell. Sorry, it’s an eighth level spell.

TRAVIS, LAURA and SAM: _Eighth_ level?

MARISHA: Fuck.

MATT: As Trent’s lips curl into a grin, I need you, Caleb, to make an Intelligence saving throw. With disadvantage because you are stunned and not paying attention to the things around you.

LIAM: Intelligence? Hmm. Not great. _Fünfzehn_. Fifteen.

MATT: So, as you’re staring into the burning fire that was once that guard, you suddenly feel a violent _shove_ at your mind and you take… (rolling dice) 17 psychic damage.

LIAM: Okay.

SAM: That’s not too bad.

LAURA: (aggressive shushing)

MATT: You guys watch, as Trent finishes the incantation, Caleb seems to stumble back from an unseen force, before clutching his head and falling to his knees. You watch as his eyes flicker back and forth with his brow furrowed before he blinks a few times and his hands just drop from his head onto his lap and he just stares blankly into the middle distance.

TALIESIN: Oh no.

MARISHA: Does he look like when he zonks out after burning someone? Does he look the same as that?

TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

MATT: He doesn’t, actually, no. This is a very different look that you’ve never seen on Caleb in all the time that you’ve known him.

ASHLEY: Uh oh.

MATT: You, Caleb, stumble backwards, putting a hand to your temple as your head spins. And you blink a few times, and suddenly you’re sitting on the ground. That’s strange. When did that happen? In fact… you don’t actually know where you are. There was something… There was something you were supposed to be doing, wasn’t there? You feel your thoughts start to fracture and fall away, and your last real thought is: Oh. The fog is back. And then you don’t think anything at all.

TRAVIS: _What???_

SAM: Fuuuuuuuck.

ASHLEY: What?

MATT: (handing LIAM a paper) And this is for you.

LIAM: (reading) Oh. Hmm.

TRAVIS: What is that? What does that mean?? The fog??

(all yelling)

TALIESIN: Oh _no._

…

MATT: With advantage because you’re still sitting on the ground, that’s gonna be a 19 and a 23 to hit, Caleb.

LIAM: Hits.

MATT: Okay, you all watch as this guard takes two swings at the still very much out of it Caleb, and you take, 37 points of slashing damage.

LIAM: Oof, okay.

SAM: Does he get to make a saving throw again?

MATT: No, he doesn’t. This isn’t that kind of spell.

…

MATT: Jester, you’re up.

LAURA: Okay, okay, okay, Caleb’s looking pretty rough right now?

LIAM: (holds up 8 fingers)

TRAVIS: (laughing) Oh shit, really?

LAURA: Okay, okay, I can’t get to him this round, so I’m going to cast Healing Word at fucking third level at him I guess. (rolling dice) God fucking- Only 11 hit points.

LIAM: I will take it!

LAURA: And then my Spiritual Weapon’s gonna come down on that guy near Beau!

…

MATT: Okay, it’s Caleb’s turn.

LIAM: Well. Okay. I’m going to try to scramble away from this guy.

MARISHA: Attack of opportunity though!

LIAM: Oh yeah, probably.

MATT: Are you standing up first? You’re still on the ground.

LIAM: No, probably not. Just trying to crawl away from him.

MATT: Okay, he’s going to take an attack of opportunity on you, advantage because you’re still technically prone… That’s a 21 to hit.

LIAM: Hits.

LAURA: I just healed you.

MATT: And you take… 13 points of slashing damage.

LIAM: Okay, sure. Well I’m still scrambling away from him and, I think I have enough movement with my dash to get to that pillar there and put my back against it… And then! I’m going to continue sitting on the ground and I’m going to hold my wounds and hyperventilate.

MATT: Okay, that ends Caleb’s turn then-

SAM: Wait what, that’s it?

MATT: Caduceus, you’re up.

TALIESIN: Okay, so, first I’m gonna move to get between Caleb and the rest of the fight, and I will crouch down in front of him to look him in the face-

MATT: He slowly blinks and starts to focus on your face a little bit.

TALIESIN: “Okay, that’s good, that’s good, focus on me Caleb.” And I’m going to cup his face in my hands and I’m going to cast Dispel Magic at fifth level.

LAURA: Oh, nice.

MATT: Okay. You concentrate on the spell and release the magical energy and… nothing happens.

TALIESIN: Oh _no_. It can’t be dispelled.

LAURA: It can’t be dispelled??

MATT: It didn’t have any effect.

TALIESIN: Okay, okay, okay, then I’m just going to stand in front of Caleb and do my best to block him.

…

MATT: Caleb, you’re up. Caduceus, you’re on deck

LIAM: I am going to continue sitting there with my back to the wall staring at nothing and hyperventilating. That’s my turn.

(all yelling)

MATT: Okay. Caduceus, you’re up.

…

MATT: That’s going to be a 17 to hit, Caleb.

LIAM: Shield- Oh I can’t do that. Yeah that hits.

MATT: You take… 23 points of piercing damage.

LIAM: I’m out.

TRAVIS: You’re unconscious??

LIAM: I had 6 hit points left. I’m out.

…

TALIESIN: I’m going to cast Cure Wounds at Caleb at third level, which will automatically pop you back up to 29 hit points.

LIAM: Nice.

SAM: Is he still… whatever he was? He went unconscious so?

LAURA: Oh yeah maybe he’s fine now?

MATT: He’s only just waking up now, we haven’t gotten to his turn, so you can’t tell just yet.

…

MATT: Okay, so Trent, seeing how things are going here-

MARISHA: Oh fuck, he’s gonna teleport.

MATT: He’s going to look over at Caleb, who is just starting to come back to consciousness again with Caduceus’ help, and he’s going to grin and say, “I will see you soon.” And then (whoosh) he teleports away.

TRAVIS: Fuck!

LAURA: Are we out of combat now?

MATT: Technically, yes.

LAURA: I’m going to rush over to Caleb.

SAM: Same, yeah.

ASHLEY: “Is he okay?”

MARISHA: Beau’s shouting down from the balcony, “What happened?”

MATT: Caleb, as you come to consciousness, you see an older man say something to you with a smile, and then he’s gone. You don’t know what he says, you’re not even sure who he is beyond the all-encompassing fear you feel when you look at him. And sitting on the ground still, you look around now at the group of people crowding around you and… you don’t know who they are either. But they make you feel… safer. You don’t know where you are. The spell is still in effect.

MARISHA: Shit.

SAM: “Caleb, Caleb! Are you alright?”

MATT: He just sort of looks at you with confusion and a lack of understanding.

ASHLEY: “What’s wrong with him?”

TALIESIN: “Hm. I don’t know. I tried Dispel Magic. It didn’t have any effect.”

LAURA: “He’s also taken damage and been healed, and that didn’t seem to do anything either. How do we fix this you guys? What if this is like when Yasha-”

(silence)

MARISHA: I figure I’ve gotten down to them by this point probably? I’m going to crouch down and offer my hand to Caleb. “Can you stand?”

MATT: He doesn’t grab your hand, but he does start running his fingers over your palm and around the callouses. Just completely intrigued. You don’t think he understood your words.

MARISHA: I grab his hand. Gently. Does he do anything?

MATT: He looks at you, wide eyed and very confused, but holds your hand in return. You can’t remember ever seeing any of these emotions so plainly on Caleb’s face before. He looks… almost younger.

MARISH: I slowly start to pull him to his feet. Does he resist?

MATT: (shaking his head) No, he comes with you easily.

SAM: I walk up and hold onto his other hand. “Lebby?”

MATT: He looks down at you and smiles warmly.

LAURA: “What can we try that we haven’t already?”

TALIESIN: “Greater Restoration? I don’t have that prepared.”

LAURA: “Me neither. We’d have to rest first. Do you think- do you think he’ll be okay until the morning?”

TALIESIN: “I don’t know.”

ASHLEY: I want to subtly check the back of his neck for orange glows.

MATT: You look and there’s nothing there.

SAM: “What if- what if he wanders off in the night? What if Trent comes back and- and- I don’t know. Look what he’s already done to him! What if he _dies_?”

TRAVIS: “We have to get somewhere safe and just hope we can fix this in the morning.”

LAURA: “But we can’t teleport anywhere because Caleb can’t teleport us anywhere!”

MARISHA: “We could go to the Archive. We could use their circles to go to Zadash. We can stay in my room there. That’s pretty damn safe.”

LAURA: “Or we could stay at the Gentleman’s!”

MARISHA: “Or that.”

ASHLEY: “We need to leave this place.”

MARISHA: “Agreed. Jes, did you get all the files? Do you have them? Please tell me we got something out of this.”

LAURA: “Yep! In the haversack. We got everything.”

MARISHA: (exhales with relief) “Good. Thank the gods. Good.”

TALIESIN: “Let’s go, let’s start walking.”

SAM: I don’t let go of Caleb’s hand as we’re going, and the whole way I’m just muttering to him, “It’s okay, you’re going to be okay, we’re going to fix this, don’t worry, you’re going to be okay.”

…

MATT: Beau’s room is rather spacious for a monk’s living quarters, but with the seven of you piled in there, it’s a bit of a tight squeeze.

LAURA: What’s Caleb doing?

MATT: He’s just standing there, still holding Veth's hand, looking around like it’s the first time he’s seen this room or anything like it.

MARISHA: I’m gonna lead him over to the bed and sit him down on it.

MATT: He sits.

MARISHA: “You stay there now.” (sighs, then quieter) “I wish we had Frumpkin to give him.”

(silence)

TRAVIS: “What now?”

LAURA: “I guess we go to sleep.”

SAM: “No dome, no silver wire…”

MARISHA: “And one of the most powerful archmages in the Empire has just tried to kill us.”

(silence)

SAM: “I’ll take first watch.”

ASHLEY: “I’ll take it with you.”

…

MATT: Morning comes without issue and you are all fully rested, if rather sore from the cramped sleeping arrangements.

SAM: How’s Caleb in the morning?

TRAVIS: Yeah, maybe the spell has a time limit?

MATT: Caleb wakes when the rest of you start moving around and making noise. For those on watch who were keeping an eye on him, you would’ve seen Caleb have one of the most restful sleeps you’ve ever seen him have. In the morning, he has that same open but out-of-it look on his face as he had the night before, like he’s not really seeing you, like he doesn’t recognize anyone or anything. He’s just sitting on the bed, looking at all of you.

TALIESIN: “Okay. Are we ready to try this?”

SAM: “You’re sure this’ll help?”

TALIESIN: “I’m not sure of anything. But it’s Greater Restoration, it certainly won’t hurt anything.”

SAM: (after a moment, nods) “Okay.” I’m going to hold Caleb’s hand.

MARISHA: I hold his other one. “Do it, Cad.”

TALIESIN: I cup Caleb’s face in my hands, like I did yesterday, and I say, “Come back to us Mr. Caleb. We need you.” And I cast Greater Restoration.

MATT: You all watch as this glow begins to emanate, starting from Caduceus’ hands and spreading to Caleb’s face, and head, and it’s warm. Caduceus you can feel this gentle comforting warmth all over your fingers and hands, and climbing up your arms just a little bit. And all of you can feel it coming from them, from that point of contact, and Caleb, you feel this too. You close your eyes as you can feel the warmth spreading. It feels like a warm drink on a cold and rainy day. It feels like summer in the Zemni Fields. It feels like comfort. And suddenly, (gasps) you come back from that terribly familiar fogginess and your eyes shoot open, and you’re surrounded by your friends. Caduceus, Veth, and Beau, right there beside you, with the others crowding close, all with concern on their faces.

SAM: “Lebby?”

LIAM: I just look at all of them for a moment, wide-eyed, taking them all in, and then I just crumple forward onto the floor and (breathing shakily) just start panicking.

TALIESIN: I catch him before he hits the floor and just ease him down.

SAM: “Caleb! Caleb! Are you alright?”

LIAM: I’m just on my knees on the floor, forehead on the ground, and hands clutching at my head, shaking. “It was back, I thought I was back, but I got out, I got out! And- and it all makes sense now, everything makes sense! I thought I… but I…” (dissolves into hyperventilation)

MARISHA: I’m just sitting on the ground beside him and I… just kind of awkwardly… pull him into a bit of hug with one arm.

LAURA: I get down there and just throw my arms around him.

ASHLEY: Me too.

TRAVIS: We’re all just sitting on the ground surrounding him at this point. “You’re alright now. You’re alright.”

ASHLEY: “It’s okay.”

TALIESIN: “We’ve got you Mr. Caleb.”

LIAM: (head in his hands, breathing hard)

LAURA: And we just stay like that for a while.

TRAVIS: Eventually… “Do you know what happened? Do you know what spell that was?”

LIAM: (deep breath in) “ _Nein_. No. I don’t- I don’t know what the spell was specifically but I- it was so familiar. (quietly) So stupid not to realize… (back at volume) I’ve had… _that_ , done to me before, I think, I think. A while ago. But I- I thought… at the time… I didn’t know it was a spell, I thought it was just…” (runs his hands through his hair as he breathes shakily)

ASHLEY: “What do you mean?”

TRAVIS: “Yeah, you just didn’t… notice that before? Seems like a pretty wildly obvious thing to me.”

LIAM: “This… I was rather… preoccupied at the time and I… I should just explain.”

SAM: I squeeze his hand. (nods encouragingly at LIAM)

(silence for a few seconds)

LIAM: (deep breath) “As part of my training, well as the last part of my training, to graduate, we were asked to do something, _made_ to do something… despicable, and terrible, and I- I did. But… I broke. I broke. I- (shaky breath, then with steadier words) You all saw Vergesson Sanatorium. I- I don’t remember much of my time there. And I- I remember _everything_ and that- that is a long stretch of time to not remember. And then… one day, a woman there, another patient I think, put hands upon me and… and it took the fog away… and the fake memories and… (head in hands for a moment) It was the same. I _know_ now that it was the same. The fog.”

LAURA: “That’s a good thing, isn’t it? To know now?”

LIAM: “All this time, _all this time_ , I thought that was the one time when I had been free of him. Under watch, sure, but I didn’t think he… But no, that was done to me. That was… I… It was all done to me. He was _keeping_ me there. Keeping me subdued. And I have _no memory of it_.” (puts his head back in his hands as his shoulders shake)

TRAVIS: I put my hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it. Stop him.”

LIAM: “No, _no_ , you have nothing to apologize for. You all, you got me out of there, you brought me out of it. And it didn’t- it didn’t take eleven years this time. And- (choking up) and when I came back to myself this time… I wasn’t in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar people, being kept under guard, older- older than I remembered being… I was surrounded by all of you and I- (voice breaking) Thank you.”

SAM: I just hug him tighter “Of course, Caleb, of course. We’ve got you. Always.”

MARISHA: “Also! Good news! We scored on the incriminating evidence!”

LIAM: (gives a questioning look)

MARISHA: “Yeah! We snagged enough to be able to present it to the Soul, and the King too, and put that fucker away for the rest of his miserable life.”

TRAVIS: “And if we play our cards right, we can probably have everything he built dismantled along with him.”

LIAM: (sagging with relief) “Then it worked. We did it. _We did it_.”

LAURA: “Yay! Anyone want a cupcake to celebrate?”

SAM: “Aren’t those the ones from Uthodurn? They’ve got to be _so_ stale by now.”

LAURA: “So you don’t want one?”

SAM: “I didn’t say that! Gimme a black moss one.”

…

LIAM: “You know, he’s probably gone by now. He won’t stick around long enough for us to nail him to the wall.”

MARISHA: “The expositors will find him.”

LIAM: “I would not count him out just yet. It is dangerous to underestimate a man like that.”

TRAVIS: “Well. If and when, the next time he shows up, he won’t have a whole tower’s worth of guards, and- and scourgers, and whatever else, at his beck and call anymore.”

LAURA: “And he’ll have nothing, because he’ll be on the run, and everyone will be looking for him…”

SAM: “Heh, sounds a bit like when we first broke out of that prison. Serves that fucker right.”

TALIESIN: “Poetic justice and the will of the universe at its finest.”

ASHLEY: “I did offer to kill him that one time. I’d be glad for him to give me the opportunity to try again.”

MARISHA: “The next time he shows up, he’ll be alone. And we’ll be ready.”

LAURA: “No matter what, we’ll be with you.”

LIAM: (takes a deep breath in) “ _Thank you_. Thank you all for… (in a whisper) Thank you all.” And I just bundle them all up closer in my arms and just hug them all, right there in the middle of the floor.

(And that’s where we’re gonna go ahead and end tonight’s episode)

**Author's Note:**

>  **Feeblemind**  
>  8th-level enchantment  
> Casting Time: 1 action  
> Range: 150 feet  
> Components: V, S, M (a handful of clay, crystal, glass, or mineral spheres)  
> Duration: Instantaneous  
> You blast the mind of a creature that you can see within range, attempting to shatter its intellect and personality. The target takes 4d6 psychic damage and must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the creature’s Intelligence and Charisma scores become 1. The creature can’t cast spells, activate magic items, understand language, or communicate in any intelligible way. The creature can, however, identify its friends, follow them, and even protect them. At the end of every 30 days, the creature can repeat its saving throw against this spell. If it succeeds on its saving throw, the spell ends. The spell can also be ended by _Greater Restoration_ , _Heal_ , or _Wish_.


End file.
